Electric switch



y 1937- H. w. BATCHELLER 2,087,935 4 ,ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Dec. 4. 1935Patented July 27, 1937 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH Hugh W. Batcheller,Waltham, Mass., assignor to Standard Mfg. 00., Worcester, Mass., acorporation of Massachusetts Application December 4, 1935, Serial No.52,855

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric switch of the tell-tale variety,the invention being embodied in a switch of compact structure adapted tobe secured to the dashboard of an automobile vehicie for any desired usesuch as the control of an electric motor in a heating unit.

An object of the invention is to provide improvements in details ofstructure of switches of this type, and to make possible more economicaland expeditious manufacture and assembling of such switches. I

Other advantageous features will be apparent to one skilled in the artfrom the disclosure of the invention in the following description and onthe drawing of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the several partsconstituting a switch embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the assembled switch.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3, but showing the partsin a diiferent position of operation.

As indicated in Figure 1, the switch may comprise an operating knob l0,preferably of molded translucent material, the knob having a tubularshaft II of brass or other suitable material inserted prior to themolding operation so as to form a substantially integral structure withthe molded material. The switch structure also includes a cylindricalhousingmember |2, preferably of metal which receives loosely alongitudinally split sleeve member 3. A lamp socket I4 is located withinthe sleeve band is adapted to receive and hold the base of a lamp |5.The sleeve also contains a pair of disks 2!) and 2| of insulatingmaterial, these disks being pushed apart by a compressed spring 22. Thehousing member |2 may be externally threaded as at 23 to receive one ormore nuts 24 by which the switch may be attached to a dashboard or othersupport. The rear end of the housing member I 2 is closed by a plate 25of insulating material. This may be secured in place by any suitabledevice. As shown, the rear portion of the housing member is thinned toform an inner shoulder 26 against which the plate 25 seats, the platebeing held in place by end edge portions of the housing member which arecrimped or spun over toengage the rear face of the plate as at 21. v

The cylindrical housing member I 2 is cut away from its rear end as at28 to form an arcuate edge portion 29. If desired, another such portionmay be cut away as at'30' to form a similar arcue fromjthis-s pring isexerted through a cup-shaped which may be provided with a pair ofradially projecting ears'64 adapted to ride inthe slots bears against ametal piece'lmpreferably of sheet ate edge 32 diametrically opposed tothe arcuate edge 29. Each of these arcuate edge portions preferablyterminates at both ends in a shallow notch or depression 34 for apurpose hereinafter explained. 5 The sleeve |3 may be made with twoportions of difierent diameters, the rearward portion 36 having aslightly larger diameter than the for- Ward portion 38. Projectingradially from the rear end of the sleeve I3 is an ear 40 which isadapted to ride on the arcuate edge 29 of the housing member l2 as thesleeve I3 is rotated relative to the housing. If the housing is providedwith two cut-away portions 28 and 30, an additional ear 4| may beprovided to ride on the arcuate edge 32. The side edges of the cut-outsin the housing member l2 limit the travel of the ears 40 and 4|,and-hence limit the angle of ro- 'l2. The edge-engaging faces of theears 4!! and 4| are preferably rounded so as to fit in the notches 34andto ride easily out of the notches when the sleeve is turned. Sincethe sleeve I3 25 is normally pressed forward, as hereinafter described,the engagement of the ears in the notches 34 serves as a yielding detentto maintain the sleeve releasably in one or the other of its extremepositions of operation.

Nested within the portion 38 of the sleeve 3 is the lamp socket I4. Fromthe rear end of this socket, a pair of ears 44 and 46 project radiallyand engage in a pair of slots 48 and 50 in the sleeve l3 so as to holdthe socket against rota- -tion when a lamp is inserted therein. Thesocket may be loosely inserted in the sleeve l3 or may be permanentlysecured therein as by a drop of solderfl As illustrated in Figure 1; thesocket is designed for use with alamp having a base with 'radialpins 52and a central contact point 54. The

metallic element which is adapted to bear against the contact point 54of the lamp |5. The

element 60 is mounted in and projects through the disk 20 which is ofinsulating material and 50 and 50. The rear end of the spring 22 extendsthrough a central aperturelilljgin the disk 2| and copper, which isprovided with a pair of elements I2 and 14 projecting rearwardly fromthe face thereof. These elements may be portions of the sheet itselfbulging from the plane thereof.- The metal piece may be secured to thedisk 2| by any suitable means such as a pair of tabs 16 bent to engagethe opposite face of the disk 2|, the tabs being disposed in peripheralnotches 18 in the disk so as to avoid contact with the sleeve l3 inwhich the disk 2| is loosely mounted. The disk 2| is provided withradial ears 80 engaging the slots 48 and 50 of the sleeve I3 so that thedisk rotates with the sleeve when the latter is turned. The insulatingplate 25, which is secured at the rear end of the housing member [2, isprovided with a pair of conductors 84, 86, these conductors havingportions extending through the plate 25 and ending flush with the frontface thereof. As indicated in Figure 4, the conductors 84 and 86 are soarranged as to be engageable simultaneously by the elements 12 and 14when the disk 2| is turned to a suitable angular position. Thus rotationof the sleeve I3 and disk 2| is adapted to move the conducting elements12 and 14 into and out of simultaneous contact with the conductors 84and 86. Since the elements l2 and 74 are always electrically connectedby the metal piece Ill of which they are a part, such simultaneouscontact with the conductors 84 and 86 serves to connect these conductorselectrically so as to close the switch. Since the spring 22 engages themetal piece 18 and the element 60, and, since the latter presses againstthe contact point 54 of the lamp l5, a conducting path is thus providedfor current to light the lamp l5 when the switch is closed, the circuitbeing completed through the pins 52 which are grounded through thesocket M, the sleeve I3 and the housing l2. For operation of the switch,the hollow shaft portion II of the knob H! is provided with a slot 90which interlocks with an ear 92 struck out from the sleeve l3. Thehollow shaft II is adapted to fit snugly over the forward portion 38 ofthe split sleeve 53 and to be in telescoped frictional engagementtherewith. It is evident that rotation of the knob It! will result inrotation of the'sleeve l3 and of the disk 2|. This moves the conductingelements 12 and 14 into and out of simultaneous engagement with theconductors '84 and 86, thus closing or opening the switch as desired,the switch being held in its closed or open position by the engagementof the ears 40 and 4| in certain of the notches 34 in the sleeve [2under the pressure of the spring 22. When the switch is closed and theelements 12 and 14 are connected to a source of potential, a path forcurrent to the lamp I5 is provided through the spring 22 and the element60, the shell of the lamp base being grounded, so that, when the switchis in use, the lamp is lighted when the switch is on.

It is evident that various modifications and changes may be made in thespecific embodiment of the invention herein shown and described withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope thereof as defined in the followingclaims.

I claimzi 1. An electric switch comprising a cylindrical housing memberhaving a portion cut away from the rear end thereof to form an arcuateedge in a transverse plane between the ends of the housing, a splitsleeve loosely fitted in said housing, said sleeve having an earprojecting radially from its rear end and riding on said arcuate edgewhereby rotation of said sleeve relative to said housing member islimited, a plate of insulating material closing the rear end of saidhousing member, a pair of conductors extending through said plate andending flush with the forward face thereof, a disk fitted in the rearend of said sleeve and rotatable therewith, a pair of electricallyconnected conducting elements projecting rearwardly from the face ofsaid disk and movable by rotation of said disk into and out of contactwiththe forward ends of said conductors, a knob having a shaftprojecting into the forward end of said housing and frictionallytelescoping said sleeve, means locking said knob and sleeve againstrelative rotation, and means resiliently pressing said disk against saidplate.

2. An electric switch comprising a cylindrical housing member having aportion cut away from the rear end thereof to form an arcuate edge witha shallow notch at each end of said edge, a split sleeve loosely fittedin said housing, said sleeve having a radially projecting car at therear end thereof adapted to ride on said arcuate edge from one saidnotch to the other as said sleeve is rotated in said housing member, aplate of insulating material closing the rear end of said housingmember, a pair of conductors extending through said plate so that theirforward ends are flush with the forward face of the plate, a disk fittedin the rear end of said sleeve to rotate therewith, said disk having apair of electrically connected conducting elements projecting from itsrear face to bear against the front face of said plate and movable intoand out of simultaneous contact with said conductors when the ear onsaid sleeve moves from one said notch to the other, a knob removablyattached to said sleeve for rotation therewith, and means resilientlypressing said sleeve forward and said disk rearward whereby said ear ispressed against said arcuate edge.

3. An electric switch comprising a cylindrical housing having a portioncut away from the rear end thereof to form an arcuate edge, a splitsleeve having an ear projecting radially from its rear end and riding onsaid arcuate edge to limit the angle of relative rotation between saidsleeve and said housing member, a tubular lamp socket within said sleevehaving bayonetslots for engagement with pins on a lamp base, meansholding said socket against rotation and forward movement relative tosaid sleeve, a plate of insulating material closing the rear end of saidhousing member, a pair of conductors extending through said plate andending flush with the forward face thereof, a pair of disks ofinsulating -material loosely carried in said sleeve and rotatabletherewith, one said disk having a pair of electrically connectedconducting elements projecting from the rear face thereof and movableinto and out of simultaneous contact with the flush ends of saidconductors by rotation of said sleeve, the other disk having a centralconducting element adapted to bear against the central contact point ofa lamp mounted in said socket, a. compressed spring between said diskselectrically connecting all said conducting elements, and an operatingknob of translucent material operatively engaging said sleeve forrotation therewith.

4. An electric switch comprising a cylindrical, housing member, a plateof insulating materia secured across the rear end of said housingmember, a pair of conductors extending through said plate and endingflush with the forward face of said plate, an operatingknobhaving ashaft portion projecting into the forward end of said housing, a tubularsleeve member in said housing in telescoped relation with said shaftportion and keyed thereto for rotation therewith, said sleeve having apair of notches in its rear end portion,

an axially movable member disposed in the rear end of said sleeve andprovided with a pair of radial ears engaging in said notches forrotation 10 of said axially movable member with said sleeve,

said axially movable member having a pair of electrically connectedconducting elements projecting rearwardly for sliding engagement withthe forward face of said plate and movable by rotation of said sleeveinto and out of simultaneous contact with the flush ends of saidconductors, and means within said housing simultaneously pressing saidconducting elements rearwardly against said plate. HUGH W. BATCHELLER.

